Posted on 03/03/2014 10:16:08 AM PST by Reaganite Republican
-ping-
Not true. Russia has recently built South Stream and North Stream pipelines, which can carry gas without transiting Urkaine.
Putin realized Ukraine will be unstable, and acted accordingly.
Russia can strangle Ukraine economically if it wants to, but it doesn’t want to, and it would hurt Russia, too.
In hindsight it looks like NBC had it just right in its pre-Olympic hymn to Russia.
Listen closely to the voice-over and think how closely it fits today’s events.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWBXonEeGnM
All the gas ORIGINATES in Russia. Why do they need to control Ukraine? They cna just shut down the pipelines at the border with Ukraine.
Putin can control the pipelines in Western Ukraine by cutting off gas to Western Europe every time it gets really cold. He doesn’t need to occupy them to control the pipelines.
Putin does not wish to control all of the Ukraine. He just wants control of Crimea so he can control the development of new pipelines to Europe that link existing pipelines to new pipelines from recently discovered gas and oil plays in the Israel, Turkey , Cyprus and the Middle East.
How are they going to market their product to Europe then... LPG terminals/tankers?
Better start building ships...
Russia is also the source of Ukraine’s gas. And the pipelines are the source of Ukraine’s income. So shutting them hurts Ukraine more than Russia.
Actually, Russia has in the past shut off the gas to Ukraine because of debt and because some of the gas transmitted to Europe disappears on its way through Ukraine. As a consequence Russia has been building pipelines that bypass Ukraine just to give it some alternatives.
I was in the Czech Republic five years ago when they where scrapping and the gas flow fell to zero... all came though Ukraine via Slovakia and then on to Prague
Ping, he will not stop, he will keep going to secure his only big source of hard currency.
North Stream and South Stream pipelines. Outside Ukraine.
Just for the sake of insurance Putin needs to up the financing of the anti-fracking litigators in Britain, Germany and France
The Russians may stop putting gas INTO the pipelines on their end, thus forcing Europe into ignominious CAPITULATION.
Nick Robinson BBC tweets:
BREAKING Government will not curb trade with Russia or close London’s financial centre to Russians an official document reveals
https://twitter.com/bbcnickrobinson/status/440548106224939008
Ping.
South Stream hasn’t been completed. Gazprom is estimating the pipeline will be completed in late 2015. The main part in the depths of the Black Sea remain to be finished. I wouldn’t be surprised if the completion date isn’t a bit optimistic.
http://www.gazprom.com/about/production/projects/pipelines/south-stream/
Veeeery interesting.
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